a coy perspective

leaving...

2012-04-01T14:06:00.000-04:00

I've lost all inspiration to post on this blog.

it's been a great journey, 3 years actually, and I've grown so much in that span of time that I think I need to star anew.

I've contemplated deleting this blog for a while now but it's hard for me to let go, especially knowing all the work I put into creating it. so it will remain here solely for archival purposes.

I still love blogging and want to continue so I created a posterous blog where you can now follow me.

http://coycolleen.posterous.com

please not that my new blog is not solely fashion, which is something I've tried to avoid when blogging here, but somehow could not.

this is a complete look at my interests (fashion, music, film, art, media, etc.) & how I see the world around me. there will be no vanity, no mindless posts.

please take the time to follow me on the new blog, as I'm so thankful for my readership here and hope to continue that in my next blogging venture.

couldn't have done it without my followers.

"therapy" a la mondo guerra

2012-03-23T15:42:00.000-04:00

finally! justice was served on last night's Project Runway Allstars competition, with Mondo Guerra being the crowned winner.

I loved his collection two years ago but looking back now, it really was not worthy of winning. THIS year's collection, however, was his ultimate comeback. of course I was rooting for him throughout the season and he had some impeccable garments walk down the runway. he deserved to be the all-star.

while at first glance I was not attracted to the collection, I found it to be the most cohesive out of his, Michael Costello's and Austin's. and I adored Michael's overall looks but it didn't resonate as a "collection." same with Austin's - and that laced dress was stunning.

Mondo's looks were probably the most wearable for a greater public, and he had the best individual pieces. his body-con dresses are my favorite and he has a great eye for mixing patterns so I can't wait to see what's next!

photos via mylifetime.com

work in progress

2012-03-06T16:08:00.000-05:00

w.i.p. is a new-ish club in soho, doubling as a nightlife dance spot and kooky art gallery with some of the most bizarre yet utterly cool pieces you can find in the city. my appreciation for the weird grows more and more each day..

can I mention that this place is underground and is totally a new stomping ground for absurdly dancing? we'll be back.

eye of style: darcel edition

2012-03-02T23:07:00.000-05:00

when I lived in Paris a couple summer's ago in 2009, I was introduced to the glory that is Colette. how I wasn't exposed to this brand prior is beyond me. Colette is turning 15 this year and has collaborated with Darcel, the artist that specializes in personifying the eye in such a cute & creative way.

Darcel's created 150 eye portraits of celebrities of all sorts, in fashion, music, design, & photography "who are important for the Colette story"

150/15

see more prints, and shop the collection @ colette.fr

Fam Irvoll's winter creatures

2012-02-23T00:21:00.000-05:00

two weeks later and I'm still laughing at the SNL sketch, "Bein' Quirky with Zooey Deschanel." if you haven't seen it again, put it on your to-do list now. I bring it up because in the sketch, Bjork (brilliantly played by Kristin Wiig) knits a sweater for an octopus for no apparent reason other than in part to her quirky self. this scene immediately popped in my mind after viewing photos from Fam Irvoll's winter collection at London Fashion Week.

photo by kris atomic

I hadn't heard of this designer until today, but it turns out Fam is a Norwegian designer resides in London. inspired by "Alice in Wonderland, cartoons, toys, food, cakes and candy," all elements are apparent in her bright, quirky collection.

see the entire catwalk images at vogue uk

monogrammed taxidermy

2012-02-20T22:18:00.000-05:00

this may be old news to you Europeans, but I just recently came across these images of three dimensional animals made completely out of Louis Vuitton leather goods. the artist, Billie Achilleos, began this project in June '11 but now there are even more monogrammed creatures making their way onto LV window displays and whatnot.

see more Louis critter creations here

& watch a video of the artist making these designer sculptures here

NYFW: furs

2012-02-18T16:27:00.001-05:00

fur is always a difficult subject for me to talk about. on one shoulder, I have PETA scolding me for even looking through collections that contain fur & hence, dedicating a whole blog post to them. on the other shoulder is a fashion god that praises the sight and texture of each fur piece. what a dilemma.

despite this consequential, ethical debate with myself every time I see a gorgeous fur coat, here is a plethora from NYFW. I'd love to own each if they were in faux. but I mean, the real thing would be cool too...damn you PETA

Nicholas K, Ralph Lauren, Peter Som

TSE, J.Mendel, Michael Kors

Theyskens' Theory, Hervé Léger, BCBG Max Azria

Rebecca Taylor, Michael Kors, Tory Burch

Yigal Azrouël, Y-3, Marc Jacobs

Jason Wu, Doo.Ri, Vivienne Tam

Rag & Bone, Prabal Gurung, Reed Krakoff

Michael Kors, Christian Siriano, Badgley Mischka

images via style.com & fashionising.com

NYFW: patterns

2012-02-17T01:52:00.003-05:00

autumn/winter 2012 is in store for amazing prints featuring good old ROYGBIV

Peter Som, ICB, Nanette Lepore

Diane von Furstenberg, Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta

Betsey Johnson, Oscar de la Renta, Calla

Jen Kao, Prabal Gurung, Mandy Coon

Jill Stuart, Brood, Anna Sui

images via style.com

look into my eyes

2012-02-16T13:03:00.001-05:00

in the past month, I've frequented the eye doctor after having this reoccurring redness in my right eye. it turns out that my overuse of contact lenses lead to an inflammation in both eyes, plus a bacterial infection of some sort. no bueno.

I don't remember when I started using contacts, but I do remember vividly in high school my obsession with colored contact lenses. I'd switch between turquoise and grey lenses, regaling in the fact that I could confuse people with my race just by changing the color of my eyes.

blue-eyed creeper pic

perhaps this contributed to my identity crisis growing up into my almost-adulthood, never remembering the real color of my eyes unless I wore glasses (which was a public rarity, and still is). one of my friends here gave me a nickname after my "green eyes" but once I switch back to clear contacts it will no longer have purpose.

I've built this identity surrounding my unique, yet fake, eye color. I can't tell you how many times a guy has approached me just because he thinks my eyes are beautiful. "sorry to break it to you, but they're contacts." what. a. boner. kill.

now that I'm almost 24, I think it's time for me to move on and out with the fake eyes. my doctor told me that a majority of people with eye problems are usually those that wear colored lenses. they're thicker, which prevents more oxygen from hitting your eyes. hence, the inflammation and redness I've experienced. I'm down to my last few pairs of turquoise lenses and after that, I'll be done & ready to move on. part of being comfortable with yourself if accepting the fact that you were not born with blue or hazel or violet eyes, whatever it may be. this leads to why I'm writing this post.

I came across this Korean website called Candy Lens, where you can buy literally any type of colored contact you can think of, even designs! every anime lovers' dream, pretty much. (that's not meant to be stereotypical...in my defense there's a whole section of the website dedicated to anime contact lenses)

there are literally hundreds of these lenses, ranging in all colors of the spectrum. but why the frenzy? and specifically, in Asian cultures?

typically, Asians have either brown or black eyes. having the option of colored lenses is a way of extending our personal style, in addition to begin separated from the rest. but I feel that aside from personal feelings on wearing colored contacts, the fact that yes, they are fun to wear and are less boring than flaunting your own pair of brown/black eyes, there is some kind of cultural dilemma Asians face in regard to changing their eye color.

in college, I tackled this issue of upper eyelid surgery, aka blepharoplasty, for asians in a sociology class. this concept of "whiteness" as a heralded race in Asian cultures is bothersome, especially when many Asian men and women undergo surgeries like this to enlarge their eyes, essentially. this is of course, a further step than simply getting colored contacts to look presumably less Asian.

what do you all think? are there ethical issues to wearing colored lenses, or is it just for sheer pleasure?

for me, there's always an underlying reason why we dress the way we dress, how we want society to see us. it wasn't my intention to get all psychoanalytical about my contacts, but it's an issue I, myself have to grapple with.

as for the future of my eyes, I'd like to experiment with clear lenses and rediscover who I am and what I was born with.

roses are red...

2012-02-14T13:20:00.000-05:00

happy valentine's day!

I'll be honest, I hate this holiday but I wanted to create a little parisian inspired outfit for this day of love & hallmark cards

click here to see this set on polyvore.com

livin in a barbie world

2012-02-14T00:13:00.000-05:00

what happens when you mix fashion week and a girl's most loved toy together? the answer is Barbie's Dream Closet, a special pop-up exhibit at the Lincoln Center Atrium right across the street from the tents.

I went yesterday with my childhood friend, which was only appropriate! even if I'm family-less in NYC, I still have friends here that I've known for ages and that's the closest family I have here.

the "closet" is the definition of pink madness. we had no idea what to expect, but it's safe to say that we left Barbz closet satisfied - playing with the interactive wardrobe feature (which I chose not to partake in...though it was tempting) and admiring some stylishly dressed life-size dolls. definitely felt like a kid again :)

r.i.p. whitney houston

2012-02-12T21:36:00.000-05:00

the Grammy Awards are tonight and it is not the same without Whitney's presence. one of the greatest voices to ever grace radio waves, we are lucky enough to have lived in her era and experience listening to her music while she was alive.
I will always love you

the wang show

2012-02-11T23:36:00.000-05:00

social media is quite a wonderful thing. I mean, how in this day and age can we exist without it? if it weren't for twitter I would be in the dust about half of the events I've attended in the past few years, including this special live stream of Alexander Wang's Fall 2012 collection today @ NYFW

"contagion" masks, mirrors, gisele & mr. wang

I mean.. that's the ultimate front row seat for a fashion outsider, right?

the stream started at 5pm and as I anxiously waited for the seats to fill & lights to dim (which lasted half and hour) I was revolting when I heard old school hip hop tunes playing in the background. seriously, no one does it better than wang. he's young, hip, fresh and has a vision like no other. and the collection was a little mind blowing, to say the least.

since I moved to new york, I developed this appreciation for all things dark, mysterious and weird. and when I say "weird" I mean downright nasty, WTF is that real?, can't stop looking kind of weird. that's exactly what alex's collection was all about. but with a huge heaping of chic and sexy.

this collection was total lesbian chic. the structure of all his jackets are so rigid, most looking even oversized put paired with the high slit skirts (reminiscent of late '90s/early '00s garb) gives them a hundred ounces of sexiness. not to mention that trench Gisele rocked for the last look. ah-mazing.

photos via style.com

LV on your TT

2012-02-09T00:15:00.002-05:00

(Louis Vuitton on your "Tall Tommy")

warning: NSFW!

just like any other day, I logged onto twitter and as I was looking through feeds this little piece of work popped up before my eyes via the huffington post:

oh yes, it's what you think it is. a Louis Vuitton monogram condom wrapper. but it gets better...

even the skin is monogrammed! bet this would be the most expensive sex anyone will have sans a hooker.

ridiculous as it is, the LV condom designer Irakli Kiziria (not affiliated with LV) the contraceptive is actually meant to raise AIDS awareness, set to launch on World Aids Day to benefit amfAR: The Foundation for AIDS Research to which the proceeds will be donated.

I'm all for charity, but how is embellishing a designer logo on a condom helping spread AIDS awareness? when really, the only thing spreading are your legs...sorry had to.

if you look closely, you'll see the caption under the images that reads: inside every story, there is a beautiful journey. the abstractness of this phrase is a bit unnerving. what the hell does it mean? in class we talk a great deal about representation in the media and our value-consciousness of images. the condoms are seemingly a media spectacle. the most abstract terms are paired with the image of a very bourgeois penis sheath. meaning is attributed by the fanciestlouislouisbourgie sex you'll be having = the beauty of investing $68 for just one pair.

but we're taking about AIDS research here, right? totally forgot. as did the designer.

to be clear...THIS IS NOT A LOUIS VUITTON PRODUCT.
it's counterfeit. and that raises a whole other issue which I have no time to get into, but it is obvious that attaching a fake to a product that is directly correlated to an act of realness (sex) is benign to me, at least.

over and out! let me know your thoughts in the comments.

how 'bout them giants?

2012-02-06T12:29:00.000-05:00

congrats to the New York Giants for winning the Super Bowl XLVI !!!

I'll admit, I wasn't rooting for neither team last night (my loyalty is to the 49ers!) but hey, I'm in nyc and everyone outside is ecstatic. having said that, I think today I'll pull out of reds & blues for my outfit choice. here's a little something I put together for inspiration for all you Giants fans!

these bitches calling me MANNING, ELI

(get my nicki minaj line? google it.)

my view of the parade, from about 2 blocks away. couldn't see anything but confetti and crazy new yorkers

how do I count the ways?

2012-01-30T21:16:00.000-05:00

these fashionistas made it easy for us to take our most basic wardrobe pieces and transform them 20+ ways...without having to use scissors.

let's face it, times have been tough and it's not likely for many of us to go shopping every other day like we used to. at least that's the case for myself. that said, I find it enthralling that bloggers, vloggers, social media-istas (I totally made that up) are posting videos that show us common folk how to wear our clothes multiple ways.

here are the best guides:

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf
by Wendy

How to Wear Your Ex's Shirt
by Marina Zvidrina

24 Ways to Wear a Skirt
by Christina Topacio

do any of you have wardrobe tricks under your sleeve (literally)? share them in the comments!

lana del rey

2012-01-27T19:56:00.000-05:00

A Film For Interview by Sean & Seng

this woman seriously has the essence of Bardot and the voice of..I don't know, Mama Cass. just amazing.despite her shaky performance on SNL a couple weeks ago, I still love her and can't wait for her album to come out on tuesday.

Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans by Interscope Records

fatale flashback

2012-01-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

"a girl of singular beauty"
starring: Natalia Vodianova
photographed by: PaoloRoversi
Vogue Italia, September 2004

these photos are just as powerful and beautiful as they were 8 years ago
that is the very aspect of fashion and photography that I love. it's timelessness.

via

fly in style

2012-01-22T00:22:00.003-05:00

airports. I have a love/hate relationship with them...with traveling in general.

tonight I finally set off to NYC again. it's bittersweet especially after spending more than a month back home. seeing my friends & family on a weekly basis makes it a bit hard moving back to the big apple where I'm practically alone.

I am excited for school to start up again. going back after completing my first semester of grad school is a weird feeling. I'm used to going back to LA after visiting home, not doing anything, working from home, yadda yadda.

I have no idea what to expect this semester and that's sort of what I'm worried about. more than dealing with the snow and ridiculously cold temperature. I got a pair of Hunter boots over the weekend so I'm sort of prepared, but barely. just wish me luck.

so that brings me to why I'm posting here...airport attire! I loathe dressing up for the airport. I remember the days in undergrad where I'd settle for sweats and uggs and call it a motherf***ing day.

now that I'm in my 20's and actually feeling like an adult, I find the urge to dress a little less casual when I'm traveling.

of course, celebs always have to look their best on a day-to-day basis, what with paparazzi snapping their photos every 5 seconds...so I always look to the stars to see what they're wearing to the airport and usually, I'm liking what Vanessa Hudgens & Nicole Richie sport while traveling

essentials: boots, good jacket, sunnies, jeans/leggings, giant carry-on purse

what is your go-to travel outfit? let me know in the comments!

etta james

2012-01-20T20:24:00.001-05:00

a voice like no other

will be remembered forever

R.I.P.

here's the original song tim bergling "avicii" sampled for his track, levels

blackout

2012-01-18T21:27:00.001-05:00

I wish this post was only referring to Britney Spears' 2007 album blackout but no.

if you haven't noticed yet today, there is a number of web browsers and blogs that are raising awareness to the issue that faces free speech online by "blacking out" their websites.

this gives us an idea of what the internet would be like without sites like wikipedia, google, blogger, facebook, anything you can think of that allows you to search and post "pirated" content.

the cause of this?

SOPA and PIPA

two bills the U.S. Senate consider passing.

Detailed information about these bills can be found in the Stop Online Piracy Act and PROTECT IP Act articles on Wikipedia

many of you like me probably frequent these sites on a daily basis, so imagine living without them?

sure there can be pros to this bill: we'd spend less time on the internet. and that's basically it.

our culture online is centered on sharing information. we read the news online, catch up on our favorite twitter feeds, post about the things we see and read online, listen to and discover new music through blogs, watch videos, etc. etc.

our blogging lives would practically be over if these SOPA and PIPA bills pass.

forget about posting looks from your favorite runway show.

forget about sharing photos from your favorite vogue editorial.

the abilities of fashion blogging will be so limited if these bills pass.

take a look at your blog now and notice the images you post that come from other websites. it will probably look like this:

today, Google reported that 4.5 million people signed anti-SOPA petition.

if you'd like to sign the petition to end this ridiculous bill, head over here and make a difference: https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction

gowns at the globes

2012-01-17T18:03:00.002-05:00

I haven't watched an awards show in so long, I figured the Golden Globes last sunday was the perfect opportunity to end my cycle especially since I was sick in bed...and there was simply nothing else on tv.
though I hadn't seen all the nominated films or tv shows, I felt the winners deserved the honor. except kelsey grammer.there were so many "best dressed" attendants that I had to post the ones I really loved and stunned me.
Claire Danes in J. Mendelalso the winner of best actress in a drama, "Homeland"

Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang

Elle Macpherson in Zac Posen on the red carpet, and in Gucci at the afterparty
Nicole Richie in Julien MacDonald
can't forget about the men!

no idea what designers Ryan Gosling and Channing Tatum sported but they look damn good

*drool*

photos via washington post, celebuzz, dailymail

what happens in vegas..

2012-01-12T19:40:00.000-05:00

...ends up online

this was a pretty epic weekend, as are all vegas trips but what made it more special were the endless memories and lessons learned both good and bad. I won't go into detail but let's just say whatever we experienced was a total blast and was well worth the tears.

PH TOWERS . MARQUEE . FAT TUESDAY . VANITY

vegas preparation

2012-01-07T16:35:00.005-05:00

brb for a few days...I'm going to vegas!

this trip is long overdue. part of what I miss about living in cali is the accessibility to vegas. we don't have this kind of ish in the east coast.

(left) paris hilton tease travel size perfume . hairspray . moisturizer . deodorant . vitamin B & ibuprofen . face wash . bobby pins & comb . backup contacts . all the essentials

(right) whatever makeup I managed to find in my parents' house

(left) you need your outfit options. I'm so indecisive so I brought three to choose from for 2 nights. again, what I managed to put together from my closet at home

(right) I'm not too big on accessories for vegas so a few rings will suffice

cheers to da freakin weekend

pony tale

2012-01-05T17:17:00.000-05:00

. ."

click through to read the story about two girls who dreamed of a world where barbie's and ponies and cotton candy pink filled every corner ... and how their dream finally came to life in this collection

starring: Amanda Booth
photos by: Kimberley Gordon

via ilovewildfox